Several dry mixes have been available for preparing salad dressings with reduced calorie content. These mixes, however, have been formulated to eliminate addition of all oils, and have not been able to satisfactorily duplicate the flavor, mouthfeel, and texture of regular, high-oil salad dressings. Some success has been had by employing starch or various gums or other hydrophilic colloids to achieve a desirable mouthfeel and viscosity. The mouthfeel is, however, quite distinct from that which is achieved by oil.
Attempts have also been made to provide reduced oil contents in pre-prepared salad dressings. However, no dry mixes enabling home preparation of salad dressings which successfully duplicate the flavor, mouthfeel and other desirable characteristics of full oil dressings, yet contain from only 10 to 30% oil, are known.
Available mixes which employ starches and gums to simply match the flow properties of a full-oil-content dressing cannot be rapidly mixed with oil without lumping if mixed by simple hand shaking.